Rotary cutting tools can be provided with a coupling mechanism for securely attaching a cutting head, having at least one cutting insert releasably attached thereto, to a tool shank. The rotary cutting tool can further be provided with a locating mechanism, that positions the cutting head in a precise predetermined position relative to the tool shank. Typically, such a locating mechanism includes a locating pin that can be received into a pin receptacle. Moreover, in order to transfer torque from the tool shank to the cutting head, the rotary cutting tool can include a driving mechanism. Typically, such a drive mechanism includes driven surfaces located on the cutting head that have a torque force transferred to them, via driving surfaces located on the tool shank.
In some such rotary cutting tools, the driven surfaces are located on transverse ribs and the driving surfaces are separated from one another by a central gap. An example of such a rotary cutting tool is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 7,556,458.
In other such rotary cutting tools the surfaces that translate the rotational force from the body to drill head are faces of dovetail grooves on the body and faces of dovetail protrusions on the drill head. An example of such a rotary cutting tool is disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 9,498,829.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,012,881 discloses a drilling tool having an exchangeable tip that has a rotary driver which meshes with a complementary centering and driving part of the base body.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,079,255 discloses a boring tool having a driver connection that has at least two coupling pairs which are separate from one another. Each coupling pair is formed by interlocking coupling elements, namely a receptacle pocket and a driver pin.